Biden swears at reporters in testy exchange after signing Social Security law
President Biden gave some parting attacks to the press during a public White House event Sunday night.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reported that after signing the Social Security Fairness Act, Biden took a few questions from the crowd which led the president to target President-elect Donald Trump.
“Do you still believe he’s a threat to democracy?” a reporter asked.
“I think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy,” Biden responded.
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After responding to the allegation that Trump plans to end birthright citizenship, Biden switched the topic to attacking the reporters.
“I might be the oldest president, but I know more world leaders than any one of you have ever met in your whole goddamn life!” Biden said.
Some X users quickly blasted the comment.
“He’s fine guys,” journalist Salena Zito joked.
Conservative communicator Steve Guest commented, “What a bitter person.”
“This is Washington credentialism in a nutshell. Politicians become ‘qualified’ by simply existing. It doesn’t matter that Biden is an abject failure and the worst foreign policy figure in American history. You see, he knows a lot of people, and that’s all that matters,” RedState writer Bonchie wrote.
CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings quipped, “The most civil, decent, and devoutly Catholic president we’ve ever had.”
Biden has lashed out at the press throughout his term, sometimes lobbing aggressive comments at the reporters themselves.
In November, Biden mocked a reporter asking him whether he could broker a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel before leaving office.
“President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?” an Israeli Channel 13 correspondent asked.
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Biden replied, stating, “Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?”
In 2022, he went as far as to refer to Fox News’ Peter Doocy as a “stupid son of a b—-” after asking a question about whether inflation would be seen as a political liability ahead of the midterms. Doocy said Biden later called him to “clear the air,” claiming the comments were “nothing personal.”
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Top GOP senators slams law enforcement leaders after terror attack ‘barrier’ revelation
Top GOP senators criticized recent law enforcement failures by the FBI and other groups Sunday, calling on President-elect Trump’s administration to enact reforms.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Americans have lost trust in the FBI. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also told “Fox News Sunday” that there need to be “consequences” for law enforcement failures that allowed incidents like last week’s terrorist attack in New Orleans.
“The FBI is an agency that I think is in need of reform, and it needs a good makeover, so to speak, and probably a good amount of housecleaning when it comes to the perception the American people have of it and these institutions that the American people need to have confidence and trust in,” Thune said Sunday.
He added that Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, “understands the mission.”
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK
Meanwhile, Cassidy reacted to news that New Orleans police had access to 48 barriers that could have prevented last week’s deadly truck attack. The permanent barriers blocking vehicle access to Bourbon Street were being replaced at the time of the attack, but authorities in the city could have deployed archer barriers that are rated to stop a 5,500-pound vehicle going 60 miles-per-hour.
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“There has to be leadership at the top. And if the leadership failed, as you describe it, then absolutely there has to be consequences. Period. End of story,” Cassidy said.
“Now, I think we’re going to have a kind of complete review of everything from top to bottom. And if that’s the way it ends up shaking out completely, she should be replaced,” he added, referencing New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
Thune and Cassidy’s statements come days after Trump’s allies excoriated the FBI for its initial characterization of the truck attack as not terror-related, before the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency backtracked and launched a terrorism investigation allegedly connected to ISIS.
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“The FBI has a no-fail mission. There is no room for error. When they fail, Americans die. It’s a necessity that Kash Patel gets confirmed ASAP,” a source close to Trump told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning.
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Patel is one of many incoming Cabinet nominees who will need to go through Senate confirmation after Trump is inaugurated later this month.
FBI reveals terrorist’s ‘unique’ mistake that saved lives during Bourbon Street attack
The FBI on Sunday released new details about 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man authorities say carried out the deadly New Years Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, including his movements in and out of the country and the preparations he took immediately prior to the attack.
Jabbar, who authorities said acted alone in the attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people, had traveled to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 to July 3, 2023, then returned to the U.S. In a separate trip on July 10, 2023, he traveled to Ontario, Canada, and returned to the U.S. a few days later, the FBI said during a press conference. The FBI also said Jabbar visited Tampa, Florida recently.
Jabbar also made at least two trips to New Orleans in October and November prior to the deadly attack and recorded video of Bourbon Street with Meta smart glasses.
“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he went with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” said Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK
While it remains unclear whether those trips were connected to the attack, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said the agency is investigating whether Jabbar had any associates in the U.S. or overseas.
“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”
Jabbar, an Army veteran from Houston, plowed a rented Ford pick-up through a crowd of Bourbon Street revelers in the attack that officials say was inspired by the Islamic State. Dozens of others were injured in the truck attack and Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police.
He was wearing Meta glasses at the time of the vehicle attack, but did not activate the glasses to live stream his actions that day, according to Myrthil.
The FBI recovered a black ISIS flag from the rented truck and found that Jabbar pledged allegiance to ISIS in online videos posted hours before the attack.
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Jabbar also set a fire on Mandeville Street before heading to Bourbon Street, which was later speculated to be a distraction before he carried out the attack.
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Jabbar purchased ice chests in Texas on Dec. 31, 2024, that he used to hide IEDs before entering Louisiana and going to a home that he rented, officials said. Hours later, in the early morning of Jan. 1, 2025, Jabbar placed IEDs at two locations. New video released by the FBI shows him placing one of the chests at Bourbon and Saint Peter Street and a second at Bourbon and Toulouse Streets. Officials said he botched the detonation of the devices during his attack.
“He didn’t have access to a detonator, so he used an electric match in its place to try to set off the explosive material,” said Joshua Jackson, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Division. “It’s not novel. What was different is he didn’t use the right or the correct, device to set it off. And that is just indicative of his inexperience and lack of understanding of how that material might be set off.”
The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified all 14 victims, with the youngest listed as 18 and the oldest 63. Most of the victims were in their 20s.
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President Biden planned to travel to New Orleans with first lady Jill Biden on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”
Husband, wife die in separate accidents between Christmas and New Years
A Michigan couple died in two separate accidents between Christmas and New Year’s Day, according to local officials.
Scott Levitan, 66, and Mary Lou Levitan, also 66, were both residents of Livonia, a suburb west of Detroit. According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the sequence of events unfolded after Scott Levitan fell into a frozen lake on Dec. 26.
The Michigan resident, who was ice-fishing with his 15-year-old grandson, was drilling a hole into the ice on Lake George in Addison Township at the time.
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When attempting to save his grandfather’s life, the teenager also fell into the lake but was later rescued and treated for his injuries.
“The two had gone onto the ice and were drilling a hole to go ice fishing when the ice gave way, and the grandfather fell into the ice water,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The boy called 911 and then attempted to help his grandfather out of the water but the ice broke and he fell into the water too.”
Authorities said a local resident saw the Levitans and “quickly grabbed a kayak” to rescue them.
“[The rescuer] was able to assist the boy out of the water and then grabbed a second kayak to assist the grandfather,” the sheriff’s office noted. “The neighbor could not remove the grandfather because the ice kept breaking but he was able to keep the grandfather’s head above the water until help arrived.”
The next day, Mary Lou Levitan was on her way to pick up her husband’s vehicle when she was fatally injured in a car accident, according to police. Scott Levitan was on life support at that time.
The sheriff’s office said a 19-year-old driver crossed into the northbound lane of an Oakland Township road “for an unknown reason,” striking the car in which Mary Lou Levitan was riding.
Mary Lou Levitan, who was a backseat passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Dec. 27. Her husband was removed from life support on Dec. 31.
In a statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed his condolences to the Levitans.
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“This is an unspeakable tragedy that has befallen this family in a very short time,” Bouchard said. “Two tragic and unrelated incidents happen within 24 hours of each other.”
“It’s hard to wrap your hands around it. Our prayers are with the family.”
Blue state ends basic reading and writing skills test requirement for teachers
Teachers in New Jersey will no longer be required to pass a basic reading, writing and mathematics test to be eligible for public schools, according to a new law.
Act 1669, which was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy, D., in June, went into effect on Wednesday at the start of the new year. The law aims to tackle teacher shortages in the state by removing what the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), a teachers’ union, called a “barrier” to certification in 2023.
The law states, “[T]he State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate to complete a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, in order to obtain a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate.”
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The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test is used by over 40 states and territories in the country and includes questions on English and mathematics as well as basic questions on specific subjects.
“We need more teachers. This is the best way to get them,” Democratic state Sen. Jim Beach argued when the bill was passed.
Teachers may still be required to pass specialized tests regarding their fields. They will also require a minimum GPA and credits regarding their field as well as a bachelor’s degree.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New Jersey Education Association for comment.
Over the past few years, multiple states have lowered standards for teacher certification to combat a nationwide shortage. In 2022, California enacted an emergency executive order to throw out the required traditional credentials for teachers to help recruit parents as substitutes.
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Arizona enacted a similar order that year that allowed educators to begin teaching before graduating from college.
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Golden Globes host doesn’t hold back, takes shots at Diddy, Ben Affleck and more
Golden Globes, watch out – Nikki Glaser is here to host.
Glaser, 40, opened the show with a nod to weight-loss medication, announcing it was “Ozempic’s biggest night.”
While onstage live from the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., Glaser commended Zendaya for her role in “Challengers,” which follows the tennis ace in a love triangle with her husband and ex-boyfriend.
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“That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card,” Glaser said. “I know … I’m upset, too. The after-party isn’t going to be as good.”
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She joked that Stanley Tucci would have to host now. “No baby oil this year, just olive oil,” Glaser said.
On March 25, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in connection with a federal human trafficking investigation, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time.
During the search, authorities allegedly seized various “Freak Off” supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to the federal indictment.
While rattling off the names of nominated films, a top star was thrown into Glaser’s mix, too.
“‘Wicked,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Nightbitch’ … these are not just words Ben Affleck yells when he orgasms,” Glaser said.
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Affleck is in the midst of a divorce from his second wife, Jennifer Lopez.
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Prior to the show, Glaser reminisced on 22 years of hard work in the industry to get to the place she is today.
“I started out on ‘Last Comic Standing’ when I was in college,” Glaser told CBS before detailing her shows with MTV and Comedy Central.
It was previous Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais who gave her crucial advice about hosting.
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“You’re going to do great,” she remembered Gervais saying. “You’re not one of them.”
Johnny Depp’s daughter left ‘traumatized’ by dad’s classic ’90s film
Lily-Rose Depp is still reeling with fear from watching one of her father’s most famous flicks.
Johnny Depp’s daughter, 25, stars in the supernatural thriller “Nosferatu,” but she still harbors challenging feelings toward one particular ‘90s movie in her dad’s lengthy resume: “Edward Scissorhands.”
The Tim Burton-directed film was released in 1990 and focuses on the life of an unfinished humanoid, Edward (Johnny Depp), whose scissor blades for hands make it difficult for him to assimilate into suburban life.
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“I was traumatized by it,” Depp told Harper’s Bazaar. “Not because I thought he was scary, but because everyone was being so mean to him, and I got really upset. I remember being petrified by that, which is weird, because I don’t have many memories from when I was that young.”
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She added, “It’s a difficult childhood memory. Edward’s the good guy and Nosferatu’s kind of the bad guy, but there’s a part of me that feels a little bit of empathy for Nosferatu. I mean, am I sick for feeling that way?”
“I remember being petrified by that, which is weird, because I don’t have many memories from when I was that young.”
Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in Robert Eggers’ remake of “Nosferatu,” which is inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 “Dracula” novel. Ellen has a psychic connection to the Nosferatu vampire.
When asked if Lily-Rose and her father – who has long worked with Tim Burton in the supernatural scape – share an affinity for the genre, the supermodel admitted there’s comfort in the goth culture.
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“Sure, I guess you could say so,” Depp said. “We’re very different actors, but, of course, you’re the product of your environment, and it’s a world I’ve always been very interested in.”
Depp has worked in the entertainment and modeling industry for years and has long denied her nepo baby status.
“Every job comes with a set of circumstances, and this [fame] is kind of one of them,” Depp recently told the Daily Telegraph. “The importance to me has been to maintain a sense of, like, privacy and groundedness and to protect [what] really belongs to you.”
She added, “People are interested in things that they shouldn’t necessarily be interested in and … the job of an actor is to go into a character and, like, melt into it and make the audience believe you are this character.
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“In order to do that, it’s important to protect a sense of anonymity. They’re not supposed to get to know ‘you’ that well, because you want them to believe you as other characters.”
Depp has starred in a number of films, including “Crisis,” “Voyagers,” “Silent Night” and “Wolf.” Last year, she headlined the HBO series “The Idol” alongside Abel Tesfaye, better known as singer The Weeknd.
Depp discussed the “nepo babies” debate in an Elle magazine interview last year.
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“The internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff,” she said. “People are going to have preconceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part.
“The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”
Boeing 787 Dreamliner reportedly aborts takeoff at last minute for ‘technical reasons’
An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aborted its takeoff from Melbourne Airport in Australia on Sunday for technical reasons, according to reports.
Etihad Airways Flight EY461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi began its acceleration on the runway just at around 7 p.m. before slamming on the brakes and coming to a stop.
“The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution,” Etihad Airways told UAE state-owned newspaper The National.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a passenger on the plane said two tires burst after the landing gear caught fire.
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Etihad did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson told FOX Business that emergency crews responded to the aircraft and deployed firefighting foam as a precaution.
“All 289 passengers safely disembarked the aircraft and were bused to the terminal yesterday evening,” the spokesperson added.
Once passengers were off the aircraft, it was towed off the runway.
The incident forced officials to shut down the runway, which did not reopen until Monday morning local time after all inspections of the runway had been completed.
Etihad Airways told airport officials it was re-booking passengers on future flights.
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The flight tracking site FlightRadar24.com shows the aircraft’s track from the terminal to the runway, where data shows it reached around 170 miles per hour before coming to a stop.
The manufacturer of the plane, Boeing, was plagued with crisis after crisis in 2024 after a door flew off a Boeing 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines.
Investigators found that four key bolts had been missing from the door plug to the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft when it took off from Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5, 2024. The panel blew off at 16,000 feet, which caused the cabin to depressurize before the flight returned safely to Portland International Airport.
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Boeing also launched an investigation into whether some of the fasteners on its undelivered 787 Dreamliner planes were incorrectly installed.
The Federal Aviation Administration told FOX Business last year that “Boeing disclosed that it may have improperly installed fuselage fasteners on some 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
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When reached for comment on the takeoff being aborted, Boeing deferred all questions from FOX Business to Etihad Airways.